Japan is cautioned by China to avoid "dangerous" militarism

China's Defense Ministry has warned that Japan's decision to once again embrace the path of militarization is "very dangerous" and warrants the attention of the international community. Senior Colonel Tan Kefei was asked to comment on recent remarks by Tokyo's Defense Ministry, which sounded the alarm over Beijing's decision to increase its military budget. Tan dismissed all such concerns, insisting that China is committed to a path of peaceful development and its limited defense expenditure is entirely for safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests. However, he noted that Japan has been playing up the so-called 'external threat' in recent years and working to obtain advanced offensive weapons, thereby fueling regional tensions. He urged the Japanese side to earnestly learn from the lessons of history and be cautious in words and deeds in matters of military security. Japan plans to spend as much as $320 billion in total on defense over five years.